Washboard



(No Model.)

P.J.MBRR1AM.& J. A. W. SEARS.-

WASHBOARD. Y No. 569,879. Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

w wmf ATTORNEYS UNITED VSTATES PATENT Ormes.

FREDERIC J. MERRAM AND JAMES 4A. YV. SEARS, OF ESOANABA, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE GLADSTONE NASHBOARD COMPANY, OF GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN.

WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,879, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filed February 25,1895. Serial No. 539,643. {No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ingshown. Thisconsistsinprovidingatrans Be it known that we, FREDERIC J. MERRIAM verse rod O', having the hooks O formed by and J AMES A. W. SEARS, of Escanaba, in the bending such rod at its ends, and the rod is county of Delta and State of Michigan, have held to the board at the bottom, the hooks C 5 in vented a new and improved Washboard, of projecting downward into the bars A, thereby 5 which the following is a 'i' ull, clear, and exact f engaging both bars and holding them firmly description. i against lateral strain.

The object of the invention is to provide a The rod O is held to the rubbing-board B Washboard having an improved rubbing-su ras follows: The said board is composed of a ro face and novel means for locking the parts rigid filling-piece or body b and metal sur- 6o of the hoard against both longitudinal and faces, which are formed of a double metal transverse strains, the locking devices servplate or sheet h". The latter is bent around ing to give added strength to the washboard l the bar C and extends over both front and and forming substantially a blind-lock, being back of the filling-piece or body b, and the i5 practically all concealed. back Asurface or plate serves to stilen said 65 The invention consists in the novel features body b. The side edges of the parallel surand combinationshereinafter particularly defaces or plates ZJ project beyond the side edges scribed, and delined in The claims. of the body. (See Fig. 3.) The recesses d' Reference is to be had tothe accompan ying are continued through the side bars to the 2o drawings, forminga part of this specification, top, and communicate also With the longitu- 7o in which similar letters of reference indicate dinal bores or ducts a2, that extend downcorresponding parts in all the iigures. Ward through the legs a and serve to drain Figure l is a partly sectional front elevaany water entering the recesses or grooves ct. tion ot' a Washboard constructed in accord- The grooves a', as best seen in Fig. 3, are

25 ance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a transsubstantially of keyhole shape; that is, they 7 5 verse vertical orlongitudinal section, and Fig. are enlarged interiorly throughout their 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 8 length, and into these grooves extend the side of Fig. 1. edges of the metallic surface b, such edges In constructing awashboard in accordance being expanded, as at b2, to a width greater 3o with our invention the side bars A may be than the width of the contracted portions as 8o given any preferred exterior shape, and are of the grooves o', forming loops, and these projected beyond the intermediate panel or expanded or enlarged parts are engaged by rubbing-board B to form legs ci in the usual longitudinal rods D, of any desired cross-secmanuer. Ve use the term rubbing-board, tion, but preferably corresponding to the par- 3 5 or board alone, throughout this description ticular forni which may be given the enlarged 85 in abroad senseas indicatingthe portion ofthe portions d3 of grooves a. in practice. The rods Washboard on which the clothes are rubbed D are held against longitudinal displacement and without reference to its special construcby means of pins d, one or more for each rod, tion. The said side bars are formed each said pins passing transversely through said 4o with a recess or groove ct, opening from the rods and into orifices r1.4 in the side bars A. 9o inner sides of such bars for receiving the side To the top of the rubbing-board B a head edges of the panel or board B, which are pe- E is fitted, the said head being grooved at its culiarly constructed and let into said bars, under sido to receive the top edge of theV and novel devices are provided as follows for board, and above said head a head-board F 45 maintaining the several parts in proper enis fitted, both the head E and headboard F 95 gagement: fitting at their ends in the grooves d.

The rubbing-boardis provided withhook- The Washboard is completed by a top bar like devices O, one at each side, secured to G, which extends beyond the side bars A, and or formed on the board, the preferred manis recessed at its under side, as at g g, to re- 5o ner and one having superior advantages beeeive the upper ends of said side bars and. 10o

form a bracefor the latter against lateral displacement. A Y K H In putting the washboard together the rods D are entered between the expanded edges at each side of the rubbing-board B, and the latter, with its hooks C and carrying the rods D, is slid into engagement with the grooved side boards A in an obvious manner, from the top downward, until the bottom edge of the said rubbing-board strikes the shoulders c5 at the bottom of the groovesd, the hooks C, when the rubbing-board is in the lowered position, extending'into the ducts d2 below the shoulders d5, and thus positively engaging the side bars; also with the parts in this position the pins d of the rods D are in line with the orifices d4 of the side bars A and may he made to engage the latter. Thus the rods D, by bearing at their lower ends on the hooks C', prevent longitudinal displacement of the rubbing-board, and the rods are themselves held against longitudinal displacement by the pins d; also the lateral displacement of the parts is prevented by the joint action of the hooks C and the engagement of the rods l) with the expanded or enlarged side edges of the rubbing-board within the enlarged ends of the grooves a'. The head-piece E and the head-board F are now successively slid into.

place, the head-board forming a backing for the pins d and effectively preventing their withdrawal. Finally7 the cap-bar or top bar G is placed in position and made to engage the upper ends of the side bars A in the recesses thereof, and the rods D, which project upward through the bar G, receive nuts D', which complete the connection of parts.

The front or rubbing surface of the rubbingboard B is given a novel formation, as follows, to the end that its efficiency be increased: As appears best in Fig. 2, the rubbing-surface is made up of transverse alternating convexities and angularities e e without intervening dat surfaces; that is, the convexities and angularities merge directly into each other at their bases. It will be seen,

further, that the upper surfaces of the angular members are perpendicular to the plane of the rubbing-board, while the lower surfaces are disposed at an angle of about fortyiive degrees both to the perpendicular surfaces and to the plane of the board.

Having thus described our invention, we

bilig-plate having loops at its side edges, the

loops extending into the said side bars, and rodsextendinglongitudinally of the side bars and engaging the loops, substantially as described.

3. In a washboard, the combination, with side bars having longitudinal grooves which are enlarged interiorly as specied, of the intermediate panel composed of a filling-piece or body, and sheet-metal surfaces whose side edges are extended beyond the said body and expanded to fit the enlargements of the grooves, as shown and described.

4. A washboard having grooved side bars, a rubbing-plate, rods ranging longitudinally in said grooves and interlocking with extensions of the rubbing-plate, and pins preventing longitudinal displacement of the rods, substantially as described.

5. A washboard having side bars, a rubbing-plate having extensions engaging the side bars, rods ranging longitudinally of the side bars and engaging the rubbing-plate, means for holding said rods against longitudinal movement, a cap-piece at the upper ends of4 the side bars, the krods extending through the cap-piece and nuts engaging the ends of the rods and holding the cap-piece in place, substantially as described.

6. In a washboard, the combination, with the side bars provided with longitudinal grooves and longitudinal openings, the internal piece or body, the metallic plate extending from back to front, and the cross-rod held between the lower edges of the bodyand the plate, said cross-bar having hook-like ends that engage the openings in the side bars, as shown and described.

FREDERIC J. MERRIAM. JAMES A. W. SEARS.

Vitnesses:

M. V. Cox, F. I-I. VAN CLEvE. 

